Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema are free from their four year nightmare after a French court dropped charges of sex with an underage prostitute.

Prostitution is legal in France but prostitutes must be over 18-years old. The allegations brought against the French internationals were that the self-described escort, Zahia Dehar, was a minor at the time of accepting money in exchange for sex.

Ribery, the star winger for Bayern Munich, admitted to having sex with Dehar in Munich in 2009 but argued he had not known how old Zehar was at the time. Real Madrid striker Benzema flat out denied the woman’s claims that the pair had spent the night together in Paris in 2008.

Since a French judge issued preliminary charges against the two players in July 2010, Dehar always insisted she had lied about how old she was the time of the incident and that neither player had been aware of her true age. The players faced up to three years in prison if convicted.

Ribery, Benzema and Dehar did not appear at the early stages of the trial. The judge ruled that the prosecution could not meet their burden deeming there to be insufficient proof showing that Ribery and Benzema knew that Ms. Dehar was a minor at the time of the incident. Ribery’s brother-in-law was also acquitted but five other defendants were handed sentences ranging from three months suspended to a year in prison for procurement.

After a stunning 2012-13 season where he helped Bayern win the Bundesliga and Champions League, Ribery was named UEFA Best Player in Europe. He’s continued his impressive form this season totaling six goals and seven assists in 13 league matches. Benzema has enjoyed a fine 2013-14 season as well with 11 goals and 5 assists in 20 La Liga matches.

Both players will feature prominently for France in the 2014 World Cup.